


Loneliness

by AfflecksCanary



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types
Genre: 2017 Film, Beauty and the Beast, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 07:31:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10432374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AfflecksCanary/pseuds/AfflecksCanary
Summary: He always hated being lonely.Ever since she came though, the loneliness was a little more bearable.~~~~~~the plot sorta follows the 2017 film but it applies to the 1991 film as well.





	

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't read the summary:
> 
> The plot follows the 2017 film but can apply to the 1991 film as well

He had always hated being lonely.

Loneliness meant sadness, which he hadn't known until the day his mother had died. That was the day that he discovered what loneliness was. That was the day that his heart, full of sunshine and laughter, was closed to the outside world and turned to stone.  
His father had taken the sunshine from that precious little boy, leaving him alone. His father had taken away his other family members by demanding for the boy to no longer communicate with their servants as friends: they were his servants and they were to be treated like it.  
Gone were the days of laughing with his mother. Gone were the days of sledding with their footman in winter. Gone were the days of eating cookie dough while talking to the cook.  
Gone were the days of joy, and in it's place, the days of sadness and loneliness began for a heartbroken little prince.

~~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

All the parties that he threw to fill his time did nothing to fill the void in his heart. Sure, he had learnt how to ignore that aching in his chest but sometimes, late at night, it still flared up like a old wound.

Young women from all over France would throw themselves at him, and he would oblige them, if only for a night. But it never made him feel whole, for they weren't true companions. There had been rare occasions in which the young man had attempted to discuss literature with the women, only for the conversations to fall flat and return to the topic of his royal blood. 

Usually, after those parties, he would retreat to his quarters and would simply read. The words transported him away from the mundanity of the life of the Royal Family. The words transported him back to a time in which he wasn't lonely for companionship. The words transported him back to the days when his mother was alive. The words transported him back to days in the sun.

~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

He had eventually blocked off all the sunshine in his heart. He'd even stopped reading at night, which concerned his servants greatly for they knew what books meant to him because of his mother.  
The young Prince had become cold and cruel just like his father had been, and he knew it too. It tormented him, knowing that he had turned into the man that he despised. He always pushed the torment down though, for he had trained himself to believe that all emotions were weakness, no matter if they were love or anger. 

One night, he'd let his emotions slip through and took his anger out on a old beggar woman by refusing to allow her shelter in his castle.  
The woman had punished him by transforming him into a horrible monster, which if he was being honest with himself, was probably what he deserved.

Then the woman had twisted his fate even further by adding a stipulation to his curse; if he could learn to love another and earn their love in return before the petals fell from the enchantress's rose, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

When the Enchantress had cursed him, she had also cursed his servants which made him feel worse than he already did. They'd tried to reason with him, for they still saw hope for him. They still saw the young boy with the sunshine heart behind the walls that he kept up, as both a haughty prince and a cursed monster. 

He had rejected them, for fear that he would break them in their new form of fragile household objects.  
He'd listen to their laughter as they would gather in the dining room and play games and tell jokes, wishing he could be with them. He'd attempted to join them one time when the loneliness had gotten to be too much for him, but he had quickly regretted it upon seeing the looks of horror upon their faces. The laughter and levity gone from the room, the footman who was now a candelabrum had stepped forward. "Why, master, we're sorry, we shouldn't have been -" but he stopped him quickly. "Don't apologize, Lumiere." He growled out as he turned and stalked out, sensing that his presence was unwelcome.  
As he returned to his chambers in the West Wing, he suddenly had a frightening thought; were they scared of his physical monstrous appearance or the monstrous way that he had treated them before the curse? 

 

~~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

His only comfort was watching the roses grow outside on the colonnade. They were the only thing of beauty left in the castle asides from his enchanted rose, the timer to which his entire life was tied.

He had been out in the garden, staring at them, when he had heard a new sound, something that he hadn't heard in years; a horse's hooves. He tilted his head quizzically before jumping to the top of the colonnade to get a better look at this strange new arrival. 

He watched as a man got off of his horse and walked towards the roses. He knew the horse had spotted him, or more likely, sensed him for the horse was neighing wildly and stamping his feet.

He turned his gaze back onto the man, and was filled with rage upon seeing the man cut one of his beloved roses. He jumped down from the top of the colonnade, roaring at the man as he went. The man fell to the ground, horrified by the sight of the monster before him.  
He grabbed the man by the collar and dragged him into the castle, ignoring the surprised looks that he got from a clock and a candelabrum as he trudged past them. He briefly registered the man's cries as he threw him into a cell in one of the many towers. When he turned to leave, he heard the man fling himself at the door. He winced slightly at the sound as he walked out of the dungeon.

~~~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

He was standing by his rose, brooding over what he would need to do with the man, when he heard a familiar cough behind him. He turned and saw the small teapot, who had once been the cook, looking at him with a gaze that could still make him feel like a child being scolded. "What?" He snapped out at her, attempting to keep his facade up for as long as possible.  
The teapot frowned as she looked at him. She, more than anyone, could see how much he was hurting. Despite his beastly appearance, she could still see the lonely little boy who had lost his mother when he looked at her, for his eyes were still the same piercing blue that they had been when he had been a human prince.

She rolled her tea trolley expectantly towards him. "I have some news that you may not care for, Master." She said.  
He turned his gaze back onto her. "I doubt there's much that will surprise me anymore, Mrs. Potts." He said bitterly. She scoffed at his words. "Apparently, the gentleman that you locked up had a daughter. And she's here."  
He felt a brief flicker of emotion, that he couldn't decide if was shock or hope. 

He grabbed the Enchanted Mirror, anxious to see what this new arrival was doing. "Are you sure?" Mrs. Potts asked suddenly, bringing him to a halt. "Sure?" He asked slowly. The teapot did her best impression of a nod and replied with, "Do you really want to gaze upon the girl that way?"  
He looked at her, knowing that she was right.

He walked into the dungeon, staying in the shadows. He heard the father warn the girl to leave so he growled to make his presence known to them. The girl startled but said, "Who are you?"  
He moved forward slowly before asking her the same question.  
"I've come for my father!" She said defiantly. He was taken aback slightly at her bravery. "Your father is a thief." He hissed at her.  
The girl, Belle as he had heard her father call her, glared at him, at the darkness, in anger. "Liar!" She screamed.  
He moved closer to the light so he could see her better. "He stole a rose!" He roared at her, this girl trying his patience.  
Belle's eyes widened but she laughed in disbelief. "A life sentence for a rose?"  
He felt his anger bubble as she spoke. "I received eternal damnation for one!" He roared at her. 

He sensed her movements, her fear, her anger. He heard her arguments with her father. Belle's next comment was aimed upon him though. "Come into the light." She said plainly. He felt himself fill with fear at the girl's request. He moved to slink further into the shadows but she moved towards him, candelabrum in hand which he briefly registered was Lumiere. 

He felt the light cascade upon his face but it also cascaded upon hers, illuminating Belle so he could see her better.  
Blue eyes met brown ones and for a brief moment, the blue eyes showed vulnerability for they had been alone for far too long, and the brown eyes registered the vulnerability within the blue eyes, but the iciness of the blue eyes returned as quickly as it had disappeared. 

~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

He stood there shaking in anger as Belle ran out of the West Wing. He couldn't believe that she'd came into his sacred place. He could accept her taking her father's place. He could barely accept her turning down his dinner invitation but he could still accept it.  
But she had trespassed into his hideaway. She had almost destroyed his life by touching his rose; or worse, he thought, his servants' lives. 

He buried his face into his paws as he stood by his rose. He'd just ruined his last chance, he knew. He'd be alone forever.

The candelabrum quickly ran into the West Wing, anxious to find his Master.  
"Master...she's gone." The candelabrum said flatly.  
The beastly master looked up at the words. "What?" He said softly as he yanked up his mirror and saw Belle running through the forest, wolves following her.  
He nodded to himself, his blue eyes blazing. But not out of anger towards Belle, like they had been. They were blazing out of anger towards himself for letting his temper out of control.

He looked at Lumiere, who nodded slowly as well. He shot off like a bullet. He didn't know what he would do if he arrived to find the girl....he didn't want to think about it. If she was dead, it would be entirely his fault, and he didn't need yet another reason to hate himself. 

A blur is all anyone would've saw as he jumped into the fight against the wolves. He felt them claw at him, bite him, but he didn't care in that moment. He flung their leader to the side, and the others ran.  
He glanced over his shoulder towards Belle, who's expression was that of disbelief. He never took his eyes off of her as he collapsed into the snow, pain overcoming him. 

He briefly remembered feeling her soft hands on him, and hearing her beg him to stand so she could get him on her horse and back to the Castle.

Maybe hope wasn't lost after all......

~~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

But after he had saved her life, and the servants had told her about the curse that was inflected upon the castle, it was almost as if a change has come over both he and she. 

He'd given her his library, which had been his source of comfort for so many years after his mother's death. Though he had passed it off as a excuse to get her to read other literature besides that blasted Romeo and Juliet, all he had wanted was to see her smile. He had purposely lingered at the closed library door for a moment after leaving her to explore, and had been pleased to hear her giggle and scream after he had left.

Maybe the books would transport her as well....

 

~~~~~~  
He had always hated being lonely.

More often than not, loneliness haunted his dreams as well as his life. But ever since she had came, it didn't haunt him as much. They had spent weeks together playing in the snow and reading and everything had changed.

But tonight was different. Tonight, he woke up with his heart pounding for he had dreamed of his mother yet again. He swallowed, trying to clear his head but discovered that his attempts were futile.

He stood up slowly, knowing he wasn't going to be able to sleep now, and began walking towards the library, hoping that maybe reading would calm him down.

He walked in the library, glancing around as he did. He hadn't expected to see her, to see Belle, sitting in the windowsill at 1 am. He stared at her for a moment before he cleared his throat to alert her to his presence.

Belle startled slightly and glanced up from her book. She smiled as her eyes met his. "Hi." She said softly as she watched him. 

He quickly took notice of the fact that she was in her nightgown; it was yellow with a slight rose embroidery at the bottom, and he had to admit that she looked breathtaking in it as well.

He nodded at her softly in response. She scooted over on the window seat. "Care to sit?" She asked. How could he refuse her offer?  
He sat down slowly, trying to leave distance between them. Belle smiled again as she closed her book, which he knew was a sign that she wanted to talk. Usually, she held her finger in it to hold her place when she wasn't in a conversational mood.  
"Can't sleep either?" Belle asked, still smiling. "You couldn't?" He asked in response. She laughed, a sound that was music to his ears. A sound that sounded like the stars themselves twinkling. "No, I had..." She trailed off, her smile fading. "Nightmares." She finished. He winced at Belle's words. He was constantly afraid that one day, her fear of him would return, that he would be a source of fear and torment for her.  
Belle stared out at the night sky as she said, "It's just awful when people insist that they've changed when they really haven't changed at all from the monster they were."  
He drew a sharp breath at her words, the air suddenly feeling thick. Belle's eyes widened as if sensing his thoughts. "Oh, no! I don't mean you." She said as she placed a hand upon his arm which caused a electric shock that only he could feel. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly. Belle looked concerned again.  
"There's a man...back in my village who insists that I marry him. He wants me to have children for him and...I'm not ready for that yet. He's a awful man as well," she said, "you see, he hates reading. He hates the idea of books and literature and you know...I love them."  
Belle's eyes wandered onto the Beast finally. His eyes met hers, and the air softly crackled. "He sounds awful." He said, reassuringly. Belle laughed sadly. "He is. I don't want to be with him. I want to be with someone who understands me. I want someone who isn't going to challenge me because I read; I want someone who is gonna challenge me because of the material I read. Someone who wants to show me...more."  
Both of their eyes widened as they registered her words.  
He felt the tension suddenly rise between them, making it uncomfortable. He knew that she had sensed what she was saying as well and if he was honest, it scared him. 

"What are you reading?" He asked in a futile attempt to change the conversation; it worked. She grinned mischievously. "What do you think?" She said as she lifted up the book.  
He rolled his eyes in sarcastic exasperation. "I give you a library and all you can read is Romeo and Juliet?" 

Belle opened her mouth to speak but yawned softly.  
He smiled sadly as he realized their conversation was over. "Would you like me to walk you back to your room?" He asked softly. Belle shook her head. "I'd rather stay in here." 

He took the hint and started to stand so he could leave her in peace. "Wait...don't leave." She said suddenly, causing him to jump slightly.  
"Stay?" She asked sheepishly. His eyes wandered towards the door, he could leave right now...

He sat back down slowly beside her, and this time, she scooted closer towards him. He felt his heart stop as she nuzzled herself under his arm and laid her head on his chest. "Thank you." She whispered softly as she fell asleep. 

He waited until he was entirely sure she was asleep before he carefully pushed her hair behind her ear. Her breathing was soft and beautiful. He smiled as he watched her, this thing of beauty in his castle of terror. The one thing which had restored beauty and a sense of normality to his life. The one thing which took some of the loneliness away, he thought as he leaned his head against the window and fell asleep as well. 

The moment he woke up, he was surprised again. He had expected that Belle would wake up at some point in the night, realize what she was doing, and return to her own chambers. But there she was, in her lovely yellow nightgown and her brown hair cascading down her shoulders, laying on his chest with her fingers tangled in the fur on his arm which wrapped around her. He briefly registered the fact that he had lost all feeling in that arm and slowly moved it, letting the blood flow resume with pins and needles, trying not to wake her. His attempts failed.  
Belle's eyes flickered open. She looked around for a moment, panic painted across her face.  
He closed his eyes, expecting her to scream in fear. He was surprised however when he heard Belle softly say, "Good morning." 

He opened his eyes and smiled softly at her. "Hi."  
Belle began sitting up and he went to move his arm from her sides but she stopped him. "Please don't." She whispered.  
He couldn't process this. How had he, a beast, managed to have her, a beauty, in his castle? In his arms? In his heart?

~~~~~~  
He had always hated being lonely.

His heart leapt into his throat the moment that he saw her in her yellow ball gown. They had danced the night away, both content in the other's arms.

Then she had said she missed her father. He'd let her see his mirror in which, she saw her father sick and being abused by her fellow villagers.

His heart shattered the instant that she looked at him, tears in her beautiful brown eyes.  
"You must go to him." He said, pain coursing through him. Belle's eyes widened at his words. "What did you say?" She said disbelievingly. "I release you. You're no longer my prisoner." He replied, killing himself.  
Belle's hand reached out towards him. "Thank you for understanding how much he needs me." Belle whispered as she tried to hand him the mirror. His heart broke in that instance. "Take it with you, so you can look back on me." He said, smiling sadly. He reached his paw out and ran his fingers through her long hair. She smiled and turned to run.

He was alone again, he realized after Belle had left and he had broken the news to the objects. He'd retreated to the top window of the tallest tower so he could see her until she was out of sight. She wasn't truly gone, he knew, for her memory would remain with him for evermore. But she would never return to him physically, he knew.

As much as he hated using this analogy, he thought to himself, he and his castle was the east and Belle was the sun. She had brought joy and laughter to the castle yet again, therefore thawing his frozen heart with her sunshine. 

And now she was gone, and the loneliness was creeping in yet again......

~~~~ 

He'd always hated being lonely.

He had been ready to die, ready to let the awful Gaston kill him, but then Belle had appeared, filling him with strength for her strength was his strength. Her hope was his hope. Her sunshine was his sunshine. She was Juliet and he was Romeo. 

He fought back against Gaston, trying to get to Belle, and he had made it to the balcony of the West Wing on which she stood. Her eyes lit up upon seeing him and he walked towards her, resisting the urge to kiss her for fear that it would be wrong. He moved closer and closer to her before another hot searing pain went through his chest forcing him to fall to the ground. He heard Belle scream as he fell down. He saw the petals on the rose out of the corner of his eye, along with Gaston falling to his death.

He felt the pain threatening to overtake him but as soon as Belle's hands moved to the sides of his face, he forced his eyes open so he could see her again.

"You came back to me..." He said softly through labored breaths. Tears threatened to spill from Belle's eyes as she replied, "Of course I did. I'll never leave you again."  
He ached to hold her, to tell her that he loved her.  
"I'm afraid it's my turn to leave." He replied to her.

He saw the tears running down her face and as the darkness overtook him, he thought to himself that she was more beautiful now than ever....

"Adam." A voice said softly. He felt his eyes open and he saw her. His mother.  
"Mother?" He asked disbelievingly. The woman reached out towards her son.  
"I miss you so much..." He said, tears in his eyes.  
His mother smiled at him. "My darling Adam," she said,"you must choose."  
His eyes widened. "Choose?"  
His mother looked at him, her eyes meeting his and in that instance, he knew. The white light around him seemed to blind suddenly. "You have a choice. You can stay here with me or you can return to your beautiful Belle, who loves you more than you know." His mother said.

His eyes glassed over with tears as he looked at her. "I love you, you know that right?" He asked her. His mother nodded as she watched her young Prince make his choice.

~~~~~

He had always hated being lonely.

He glanced around before realizing that he felt different, almost as if a weight had been lifted from him. He raised a hand to his face, shocked to see skin instead of fur. He spun around, seeing his beautiful Belle...his Juliet...in front of him.  
"Belle. It's me." He said to her surprised expression. Belle's eyes traveled and met his blue ones. Upon meeting his eyes, her face broke into a smile and exclaimed, "It is you!"  
He leaned forward and kissed her in that instance, feeling the true love traveling between them. 

In that moment, the Beast turned Prince realized that he would never be alone again for he had Belle and she had him, and all was right again.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make me happy!!
> 
> (also remember that you don't have to log in to leave kudos ;) }
> 
> (also, please comment with your thoughts so I know if I should publish some things that I wrote for this story that I ultimately left out. Fluffy scenes between our OTP!!!)


End file.
